Sterling State Park
Monroe, MI
Sterling State Park in Monroe is Michigan's only state park on Lake Erie, with a mile of sandy shoreline about an hour south of Detroit. The 2.9 mile paved Marsh Trail circles a restored coastal marsh, where herons, egrets, and ducks feed. It's a big, easy beach day for families from the Detroit and Toledo areas.
A big, easy beach and a great marsh trail, though Lake Erie's water quality can be an issue after heavy rain.
How we score beachesRide or walk the Marsh Trail in the morning for the best bird activity, then hit the beach in the afternoon.
A Michigan Recreation Passport (or nonresident pass) is required for vehicles; walk-ins and cyclists enter free.
The Marsh Trail is paved and flat; the beach is a short walk from the lot.
Lake Erie warms early, so swimming is comfortable by late June. Spring migration brings great birding along the marsh.
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